Sunday’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium is the first since there have been road and lane closures near the stadium. Access to and from the stadium has been impacted.

Ravens fans are advised to review the following changes and plan accordingly.

“Until our fans find new routes and make adjustments to these closures, those who drive to the stadium area should plan on arriving a little earlier and note that it will likely take longer to leave the stadium area after games,” said Roy Sommerhof, the Ravens’ vice president of stadium operations.

It is recommended that ticket holders go to www.baltimoreravens.com/streetclosures for suggestions on the best ways to reach and depart the M&T Bank Stadium area.

Here are the streets affected:

· A block of Warner Street, located directly south of the stadium, has been permanently closed due to the new casino being built in the area. This closure extends between Worcester Street and Bayard Street. Fans heading north on Russell Street, who would normally turn right on either of these streets, can now turn right on Worcester Street, which connects to Warner Street.

· To prevent wrong turns on gameday, both Haines Street and Bayard Street will be blocked at Russell Street to encourage fans to turn right on Worcester Street. (Local traffic to this area, including to the Greyhound Bus Station, will be allowed past the barricades.)

· Fans should note that one lane in each direction on Russell Street between Bush Street (south of Camden Yards) and M&T Bank Stadium will be closed for the remainder of the season. These closures are expected to create delays after games when fans are traveling at the same time.

· For fans parking in Lots A, B and C who come from the I-95 corridor, it is recommended to utilize Exit 53 to I-395 and take the Russell Street exit in order to avoid the construction zone.

“Historically, traffic to our home games is staggered,” Sommerhof explained. “Some fans come early to tailgate. Others like to come into M&T when the gates open, and some like to arrive as close to kickoff as possible. We anticipate that traffic will be more impacted leaving our games because everyone is traveling at the same time.”

The City of Baltimore is making the following adjustments to help efficiently move post-game traffic:

· The ramp from southbound Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to southbound Russell Street will be closed after games. Motorists on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard will have to continue south to I-395 to access I-95.

· Fans who park in lots along Hamburg Street west of Russell Street will be directed to exit westbound (away from Russell Street). Signs will direct motorists to Washington Boulevard South for access to I-95 South, or Washington Boulevard North for access to I-95 North/South via Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard/I-395.

· Fans who park in lots that exit to Lee Street will be required to turn right onto northbound Russell Street. Signs will then direct those wanting to go south to make rights on either Camden Street or Pratt Street and then proceed to I-395 South.

The Baltimore Ravens unveiled Tuesday the first installment of a two-year, $35 million investment that enhances the fan experience at M&T Bank Stadium with improvements to video boards, concession stands and all concourses.

The first phase of improvements, which began in March, includes extensive upgrades to the stadium’s lower concourse and video boards. The second phase of work, which will target the upper concourse, is scheduled to begin next spring and will be completed in time for the 2014 NFL season.

“We are striving to make the fan experience at Ravens’ home games and other stadium events the best it can be,” Ravens team president Dick Cass stated. “Our priority is keeping M&T Bank Stadium as the best place for fans to be on game day.”

“There is natural wear and tear that comes with every season, and these improvements will certainly benefit our fans and our business,” Ravens vice president of stadium operations Roy Sommerhof said.

VIDEO BOARDS

Two LED high-definition video boards, measuring more than 8 feet high and 30 feet wide, were installed at the concourse entrances of gates A and D. (Approximately 60 percent of fans enter gate A for all stadium events.) These new high-definition boards, which have split-screen capabilities, will display a variety of content, ranging from in-game action, highlights, NFL scores, stats, welcome messaging and entertainment video.

Another dramatic improvement was the addition of four new LED boards – measuring 18 feet high and 18 feet wide – with one each placed on the sides of the two giant RavensVision HD video boards in the stadium’s inner bowl. Additionally, four new LED ribbon boards were installed to connect fully around the entire middle seating bowl. The east/west board measures 2.5 feet high and 96 feet wide, while the north and south boards are each 3.5 feet high and over 650 feet long.

“With these boards, we will focus on football features that enrich the game-day experience,” Ravens vice president of broadcasting Larry Rosen stated. “Transitioning some of our static signage to LED technology allows us to expand content and provide the entertainment and football information – including scores and fantasy-team statistics – that our fans crave.”

CONCOURSE DESIGN

The lower concourses were re-designed with a “Ravenized” theme that has been influenced by the brick and steel look of the M&T Bank Stadium exterior and other buildings on the Camden Yards complex. These features include support columns wrapped in brick, purple accent lighting and enhanced directional signage throughout each concourse.

All 16 lower concourse concession stands were completely renovated to improve the speed of service and freshness and quality of food. Stands were not only redesigned, but new cooking equipment was installed to allow for much of the food to be prepared directly in front of fans. Additionally, 34 points of sale were added to speed up the checkout process, allowing fans to return to their seats faster.

The addition of digital menu boards also makes it easier for fans to order food and beverage items, while upgraded condiment counters will provide a wider array of self-serve toppings.

“We’re confident the upgrades we’ve made to the concession stands will further enhance the overall game-day experience at M&T Bank Stadium,” said Joe Arena, general manager, ARAMARK at M&T Bank Stadium. “The renovations allow us to offer top-quality food and service, as well as better showcase the menu variety.”

Several new items have been added to the menu for the upcoming season, including a Gino’s Burgers & Chicken location at stand 109. Additionally, ARAMARK’s culinary team created several new signature items exclusively for M&T Bank Stadium for the 2013 season:

Renovations to upper concourse concession stands will be made prior to the 2014 NFL season.

SPECIALTY AREAS

Specialty areas, such as the lower concourse’s Bacardi Zone and Talon Pub, experienced renovations and design upgrades. Two popular destinations for meeting friends prior to and during games, Talon Pub was enlarged and has been reconfigured so it opens to the concourse, while the Bacardi Zone was renovated for ease of access.

RETAIL UPDATES

All four retail stores inside the stadium were remodeled, slightly increasing the size of each and providing a wider variety of merchandise for fans.

“We’ve also added more point of sale opportunities in each store,” Sommerhof added. “These upgrades will improve connectivity and speed up service for fans who purchase merchandise with credit cards or debit cards.”

ARTWORK & SUITE ENHANCEMENTS

Local artwork featuring Baltimore and the Ravens was added throughout the stadium’s concourses and interior locations. Beginning in 2014, stadium suites also will undergo upgrades.